Steam and water cyclone for steam generating and superheating units



Feb. 4, 1958 Filed Deo). 3l, 1954 F. F. uDovlcH 2,822,060

STEAM AND WATER cYcLoNE FOR STEAM GENERATING 1 ,AND SUPERHEATING UNITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'FRANCES UDovlcH` ExEcuTR1x TTORNEY F. F. UDovlcH 2,822,060 STEAM AND WATER cYcLoNE: Foa STEAM GENERATING 4 AND SUPERHEATING UNITS Filed Dec. 311954 2 sheets-sheet 2 Feb. 4, l1958 INVENTOR. FREDEmcK F.-UDov|cH (DEcEAsEQ) av FRANCES UDovlcH, ExEcuTRlx STEAM AND WATER CYCLONE FOR STEAM GEN- ERATING AND SUPERHEATING UNITS Frederick F. Udovich, deceased, late of Barberton, Ohio,

by Frances Udovich, executrix, Barberton, Ohio, assignor to The Babcock & Wilcox Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New `lersey Appiication December 31, 1954, Serial No. 479,165

3 Claims. (Cl. 18S-83) This invention relates to improvements in drum internals for the steam and water drum of a high pressure steam generating unit. The pertinent internals are particularly effective 'for the separation of steam and water from high pressure steam and water mixtures entering the drum. j

In a more speciiic sense, the invention relates to a whirl chamber steam and water separator which is wholly frusto-conical from one extreme end to the other, and which is constructed and arrangedy so as to reduce the time and labor cost of assembly of the pertinent drum internals, and to similarly facilitate the removal and replacement of the whirl chamber units, as are required during periodic maintenance operations. For the attainment of these ends, the upright whirl chamber wall has an inlet formed as a junction box of rectangular flow area and having an upright terminal ilange normally fitting in pressure tight relationship against the face of a similarly formed flange on a second junction box of similar design, and communicating with an inlet chamber which normally receives a steam and water mixture under high pressure. The upright flanges at the meeting and engaging ends of the junction boxes are fitted with inter-engaging elements or projections distributed over the perimeters of the junction box ilanges, and so constructed and arranged as to co-act with a single adjustable element to guide the whirl chamber construction into its operative position, and to lock it in pressure. tight relationship to the junction box which is secured to the steam and water inlet chamber.

In a still more. specific instance the fixed junction box flange secured to the steam and water mixture inlet chamber is equipped with upright lugs or projections, formed with downwardly contracting or V-shaped notches to receive correspondingly spaced projections from the end flange of the junction box of the whirl chamber. With this construction, each whirl chamber is lifted up as a unit until the projections of its junction box flange are received in the V-shaped notches of the projections on the fixed junction box flange, and then the whirl chamber is dropped downwardly so that its junction box projections contact the inclined edges of the notches in the projections on the flange of the 'xedjunction box. To further force theV whirl` chamber projections downwardly in the V- shaped notches for the purpose of securing the junction box flanges in pressure tight relationship, the top of the.

junction box of the whirlV chamber has. aplate fixed thereto and provided with an aperture through which there extends a screw threaded stud,.which is aflixedv tothe upper part of the junction box ofthe lixed steam and water mixture chamber. A single adjustable elementlin the form of a screw threaded nut is threaded upon the. top of the` stud, and engages the plate iixed to the whirl chamber junction box, so that the turning of the nut will align the passageways in the two junction boxes and forcethe ilangesof the' junction boxes into'pressure tight relationship.

There is ay substantial pressure `drop between the inlet chamber for the` steamn and waterr mixtures, and` the separate steam and water outlets of the whirl chamber, but

States Patent O the construction of the junction boxes whereby they are formed with a rectangular ow area or cross-section, substantially reduces the pressure drop required for the high velocity whirling movement of the fluid within the whirl chamber.

The pertinent whirl chamber steam and water separators are disposed in a row along the wall of the steam and water mixture inlet chamber, and disposed in vertically spaced relation above the separated steam outlets of the whirl chambers is a series of auxiliary multiple plate separators with closely spaced upright corrugated plates, which are sand blasted to increase the capacity of the auxiliary separators. The auxiliary separators are, in practice, mounted upon a ledge or xed shelf vertically spaced from the steam outlet tops of the whirl chambers so asy to provide a space for the exit of any auxiliary drops of water for their return to the water space of the drum. This spacing of the auxiliary separators also promotes low pressure drop through the entire steam and water separating apparatus, and provides for relatively free movement of any separated steam beneath the auxiliary separators and into the steam space of the drum.

The invention will be concisely set forth in the appended claims, but for a more completeV understanding of the invention, its advantages and uses, recourse should be had to the following description which refers to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.`

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a transverse vertical section through asteam and water drum of a steam generator, showing the illustrative whirl chamber or cyclone with its lower portion broken away to show the separated outlet for the discharge of separated water into the water space of the drum;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan showing the arrangement of the whirl chambers or cyclones in a row beneath a shelfupon which the auxiliary separators are arranged;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the whirl chamber or cyclone with its bottom broken away to show the construction at the separated water outlet, and its top broken awayl to show the construction at the top ofthe frusto-conical whirl chamber for thel steam outlet. This view also showsthe junction boxes of the whirl chamber and of the fixed steam and water mixture inlet chamber in their operative and pressure tight relations;

Fig. 4 is a hor-izontal'sectionon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and looking in direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the cyclone or whirl chamber from a position at removed `from the Fig. 3 position; and

Fig. 6 is a plan of the cyclone or whirl chamber with itsI associated junction boxes in their operative relationships; Flg. lof the drawings shows a steam and water mixture inlet chamber 10 formed on one side by the wall of the drum l1 between the positions A and B, and on the other side, by the connected and removable wall plates 13 16. This inlet-chamber normally receives high velocity and high pressure steam and water mixtures from the connected steam generating tubes 18--23- The inlet chamber 10 with its component plates may extend over a predominant'part ofthe length of thedrutn',

from the extreme top of the cyclone to its bottom, which is of maximum diameter. The steam outlet for eachv cyclone. or whirlchamber is formed within a downwardly turned and inwardly spaced flange 25, as indicated in Fig.` 3, and the separated water outlet for each cyclone or` \vhirl"chamber isY an annular opening between a bottom 26 and the wall of the whirl chamber. Within the annu- Pat'ented Feb. 4, 1958 lar outlet for separated water there is a plurality of helically arranged vanes, such as 27 and 28, for imparting to the separated water a suicient downward component to overcome the static head when the water level 30 within the drum is considerably above the bottom of the whirl chamber.

Formed in the plate, or plates 13, is a row of rectangular` openings each of which is aligned with the passage in a fixed junction box 31. Each junction box 31 has an end flange 32 iitted against and tightly secured to a plate 13. The flange 32 is rectangular in construction having upright parts integral with the upright walls 33 and 34 of the junction box 31, and having upper and lower parts integral with the top 3S and the bottom 36 of the junction box 31. Each upright part of the ange 32 has threelugs 37, 38 and 39 welded thereto. Each lug is a plate section extending outwardly away from the steam and water mixture inlet chamber 10, and having its upper edge formed with a V-shaped notch having a vertical rear edge 40, a bottom 41, and an inclined forward edge 42.

For a purpose which will later appear, the top of the junction box 31 has a screw threaded stud 43 welded thereto.

Each cyclone or whirl chamber unit has a junction box 43 shaped to provide an inlet for the cyclone or whirl chamber, and arranged to deliver a high velocity stream of steam and water mixture substantially tangentially into the whirl chamber. Each junction box 43 has a rectangular cross-section with side walls 44 and 45, a top 46, and

a bottom 47 tted against and preferably welded to the side wall of the whirl chamber. Each junction box 43 also has a rectangular end ange including uprights 46 and 47, preferably welded to the walls of the junction box and fitted against corresponding parts 48 and 49 of a corresponding end ange at the outer end of the junction box 31. Corresponding transversely and horizontally disposed ange members connect the uprights 46 and 47' to complete the ilange secured to the junction box 43, and similar transverse and horizontal members connect the uprights 48 and 49 of the flange at the outer end of the junction box 31, each surrounding flange construction being welded to its respective junction box.

Each of the upright ange parts 46 and 47' welded to the end of the junction box 43 has three projections, such as 51, 52 and S3, vertically spaced to correspond with the spacings of the lugs 37, 38 and 39, and adapted to be received within the V-shaped notches of those lugs as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

At the top of the junction box 43 there is welded one end of a right angle plate S4 provided with an opening to receive the stud 43 when the whirl chamber or cyclone is positioned so that its lugs 51, 52 and 53 will drop withinthe notches in the positions shown in Fig. 3. The inclined Walls, such as 42, of the notches when contacted by the projections 51, 52 and 53, cause the cyclone and whirl chamber unit to be moved so that the end anges, including the uprights 46, 47, 48 and 49 are brought into contact, and this action is increased and the two junction boxes brought into pressure tight contact when the nut 55 1s threaded upon the stud 43, and turned so as to press the horizontal part of the plate 54 downwardly.

As the high velocity stream of steam and water mixtures enters the whirl chamber through the junction box 43, a whirling motion of the uid is set up within the whirl chamber and the water of the mixture being heavier than the steam, is concentrated along the wall of the whirl chamber and the steam thus separated is disposed centrally of the whirl chamber where it can rise through the steam outlet `at the top of the whirl chamber, and within the downwardly extending ange 2S. Between this ange and the wall portion 60 of the whirl chamber adjacent the ange, there is received an upward component of the whirling `stream of the water so that it will not be ejected upwardly from the whirl chamber. The separated water whirling around the interior of the cyclone is impelled downwardly and through the annular separated water outlet between the circular bottom 26 and the adjacent bottom part of the wall of the whirl chamber. It is given an increased downward component by the action of the helical vanes, such as 27 and 28, so as to overcome the static head when the water level 30 is substantially above the bottom of the whirl chamber.

Separated steam passing upwardly through the steam outlet within the ange 25 next passes between the corrugated plates 61 of an auxiliary separator 62, a row of these separators being mounted upon the shelf or platform 63, which is vertically spaced above the tops of the cyclone or whirl chamber units as clearly indicated in Fig. l of the drawings. This shelf or ledge has a forward and downwardly extending lip 64 to eiiect the downward movement of any drops of water which may pass from the whirl chamber, and also to eiect the loading of the auxiliary separators 62. The corrugated and closely spaced plates of the latter are preferably made of metal and are securely held in their optimum spaced relationship. They are also preferably sand blasted in order to increase the capacity of the auxiliary separators.

Any necessary further separation of steam and water takes place in the scrubber components 70 and 71, arranged between the auxiliary separators 62 and the final steam outlet 73. The scrubber components 70 and 71 are of multiple corrugated plate construction similar to that above indicated for the auxiliary separator 62. Any water separated from the steam by the scrubbers 70 and 71 is removed by the drain construction 74, for delivery to the water space below the water level 30.

The tubes 80, 81 and 82 are representative of downcomers, which, in many installations, connect with headers at the bottom of a steam generator, these headers being, in turn, connected to the inlets of the steam generating tubes, such as 18-23, inclusive.

What is claimed is:

l. In apparatus of the type including a separator support as an upright wall having a rectangular opening for tion box and the cyclone into operative relationship with the first junction box, and adjustable means co-acting with the guiding means to force the second junction box into pressure tight and aligned relationship with the rst junction box.

2. In combination, an upright separator support having an opening for the ow therethrough of a vapor and liquid mixture, means forming a whirl chamber vapor and liquid separator having an inlet through which the separator tangentially receives the high velocity flow of a mixture yof vapor and liquid, and having a separated vapor outlet at its upper end, the whirl chamber also having an annular outlet for separated liquid at its lower end, interengaging means secured to the support and distributed around the perimeter of the opening in the support and throughout the perimeter of the separator inlet for guiding the separator into operative relation with the support, and means co-acting with said interengaging means to align the separator inlet with the outlet of the support and lock the aligned parts together in pressure tight relationship, said interengaging means including wedging elements operable to cause the weight of the whirl chamber means to force the support and the Whirl chamber inlet into close contact when the whirl chamber is brought into position to interengage said means.

3. In combination, an upright wall serving as a separator support and having an opening for the high vewith the rst junction box, and adjustable means secured to the tops of the junction boxes for co-action with the guiding means to force the second mentioned junction box into pressure tight and aligned relationship with the secured at its side for co-action with the trst junction box 5 rst junction box.

to provide a substantially tangential inlet passage to the whirl chamber, the junction boxes being of like transverse cross-section, and having facing perimeter portions for pressure tight engagement therebetween, interengageable guiding means of the gravity action Wedge l0 1,568,413

type distributed around the facing perimeters of the junction boxes and secured thereto for guiding the whirl chamber and its junction box into operative relationship References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 404,217 Morse May 28, 1889 Peebles Ian. S, 1926 2,297,704 Huge Oct. 6, 1942 2,320,343 Bailey June 1, 1943 2,321,628 Rowand et al. June 15, 1943 

